Paper-file



(No Model.)

B. H. 86 O. MORGAN.

PAPER FILE.

No. 429,938. PatentedJun'e- 10, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR H. MORGAN AND CHARLES MORGAN, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

PAPER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,938, dated June 10, 1890. Application filed January 17, 1890. Serial No. 337,178. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDGAR H. MORGAN and CHARLES MORGAN, residents of Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Files; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in wire paper-files, and is fully described and explained in this specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved file attached to a block. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the file; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the file attached to a block, the hook forming part of the file being interlocked with the guard against which the file rests when in ordinary use.

The file illustrated in these views is formed from a single piece of wire bent at a to form two nearly-parallel members A A, the member A being considerably longer than the member A. The member A is bent forward and upward at a considerable distance below the bend a to form a curved and preferably pointed hook; B, adapted to receive papers which it is desired to file, and a slight lateral bend a is preferably formed in the member A for the purpose of bringing the plane of the hook approximately midway between the two members A A. The lower end of the member A is bent forward and obliquely upward to form an arched guard A, the shape of this guard and the hook B beingsuch that the hook normally rests against the front edge of the guard, which extends obliquely across and behind it. The curve of the hook is preferably such as to bring a slight pressure on the guard, so that the hook is held in close contact therewith, except when displaced for the purpose of filing or removing papers. The guard thus effectually prevents the accidental escape of papers from the file, while its arched form facilitates the movement of papers past it in either direction, and it offers no resistance whatever to any practical use of the hook.

When it is desired to move the file from place to place, or when for any other reason it is advisable to lock the hook temporarily, it may be readily fastened in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 by merely pressing the hook to the free end of the guard, when the spring of the wire of the hook will throw it under the guard and carry it into the plane of its original position.

The file may very readily be fastened to any stationary'or movable support in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, in which S is the head of an ordinary screw set in a support and projecting sufficiently therefrom to permit the two members A A of the file to pass under the flanges of the screw-head. The screw being properly set and the file being brought into such a position that the shank of the screw lies in the lower end of the space between the two members A A, the file may readily be drawn downward. untihthe two members closely embrace the shank of the screw and fit snugly under the flange of the screw-head. For the purpose of this adjustment of the file to the screw, the space between the members A A is preferably slightly wider at its lower than at its upper end; but this is not absolutely necessary, for even if the space be of the same width throughout thetension of the wire upon the screw increases as the bend a approaches the screw. In either case the file may be almost instantly secured to its support firmly enough to insure it again st an y accidental displacement in ordinary use, and

at the same time, when thus secured, it may be readily detached by straight upward pressure. It is evident, therefore, thatjthe file may be used in the position shown in Fig. l to receive valuable papers, and at the close of business hours the hook may be looked under the guard and the file removed from its support and placed with the papers in the safe or vault. NVhen the file is in ordinary use, the oblique position of the guard gives it such lateral extent that it is still perfectly operative, even if the hook be bent laterally out of its normal position. This oblique or transverse position of the guard also renders it possible for the hook to interlock with it in the manner already described, and the fact that the guard is open only at one side facilitates the looking together of the hook and guard, since if the hook be pressed to the end of the guard it springs naturally to the position shown in Fig. 3, and is not liable to escape at the opposite side of the guard, as it might if the guard were open at both sides instead of only at one.

\Ve are aware that the form of the file shown may be changed in various ways without affecting its operation, and we desire, therefore, not to limit our invention to the exact form illustrated in the drawings; but,

Having now described our invention and its application, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The single-wire filing-hook having its shank bent upon itself, forming a wedgeshaped 100p, and then carried forward and bent into an open hook transverse to the pointed branch of the wire and normally resting against the inner side thereof, said loop ing witnesses.

EDGAR II. MORGAN. CHARLES MORGAN. \Vitnesses:

J. A. GRAIN, R. H. WILES. 

